


Shell of a Man

by personalfreakshow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drarry, Fluff, M/M, Other, Post-War, a bit angsty, but also cute, draco is kind of a wreck, harry is a hero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 23:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7483854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/personalfreakshow/pseuds/personalfreakshow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco ran away after the war when he thought Harry was dead, ran from both sides. Harry found him, and Draco was a wreck so he took him in. Draco is very philosophical at times, and his favorite word seems to be Harry's name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shell of a Man

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“What if when we die, we don’t die?” the blond asked him, hiding in a huge green hoodie, sipping at his tea.

“What do you mean?”

“What if you are more like… I don’t know, asleep somehow. But like, completely. For thousands of years.” He drifted off into his world of imagination, like he did ever so often. “And in that time, your soul that is asleep, escapes the body and drifts around until it finds a new shell in form of an unborn child, that it decides to live in?”

“So… rebirth?”

“No, because you never _died_ , Harry. And you remember. You remember your last life. But there aren’t any of these people yet because most of us are still in their first life, because we haven’t been around that long; except for a few. You know, those who are called crazy because they remember a life that others say they never had?”

Harry nodded, smiling weakly at what was left of his childhood rival. He got up, and sat down next to him, laying an arm around Draco’s fragile self. Ever since the war, the boy Harry once knew was long gone. Instead, there was someone who came up with ten new theories a day, sometimes so crazy that they could even be real, sometimes so philosophical that Harry didn’t understand all of them. Draco had become fragile, but now and again he would pause, blink, and it would seem as though his old self was back.

“I think that. I don’t think people die… and that’s why a human can only aver be a human because a human soul can’t live in an animal, can it?”

“Of course not” Harry agreed, smiling. “But if it could, I think I would chose a bird of some sort” At this Draco froze for a second.

“But it can’t.” He repeated, and Harry just silently agreed.

Sometimes, Draco really did seem like a small child. Harry couldn’t blame him, though, since he knew that this person in his arms had lost everything, including himself, and he was only on the way back to being more than just a _shell_ , as Draco liked to call bodies without, or with a weakened soul.

They sat just like this for a moment, Draco starting to relax as he took tiny sips of black tea, the warmth spreading in his mouth, and Harry sitting next to him, feeling a cool body against him with barely enough life left.

It was weird to think, that two twenty year old wizards would ever sit in a small, ancient apartment, on a terribly uncomfortable sofa, talking about souls. One of the a former Death Eater that had run away from all responsibilities, and one the ‘hero’ that had fought everything the other stood for. But they didn’t care. Harry knew that Draco would return to normal once everything had settled, but it had only been two years and if it took another decade it would be fine. Draco knew, deep inside behind the facade of a broken creature, that he would be fine, as long as he stayed right there, speaking what was on his mind. Whenever.

They had lived in this tiny old place since Harry had found him, and since he had convinced the ministry that Draco should be free, even if someone was to watch him, and the ministry had decided he was the one to do it. They had hoped, perhaps that this would cause him to decline, but instead he had agreed, and stuck with Draco since. Draco _was_ already better than when Harry found him, but he was far from normal still.

“Harry?” the same, quivering voice sounded again.

“Yeah?”

“Do you believe in soulmates?” Draco asked, leaning on Harry and placing his empty cup on the old wooden table in front of him.

“I guess, but not the whole cliché” Harry replied after thinking for a moment.

“I do too.” Knowing one of Draco`s speeches was about to come, Harry just kept quiet, and listened.

“I think” the blond started, “that you don’t have a soulmate the moment you are born, and that I can change depending on choices you make in your life. Like, if you do something your original soulmate would hate, it can change, or if you meet someone new that is suited better, it can be them starting from that moment.”

Sometimes it was hard to keep listening to Draco when he started talking for another hour, five times a day. But he did anyway, because Draco looked _so_ sad, if you didn’t listen, or said something wrong.

“Maybe that’s nonsense. Maybe a soulmate is who you chose to be your soulmate. Do you think everyone has a soulmate?”

“Well, why would someone not have one?” Harry asked, cautiously, to not hurt the other’s feelings again.

“Maybe we don’t deserve it.”

“Everyone deserves a soulmate, Draco.” Harry assured him then, taking his hand. Quietly, he added, “especially you.”

Draco didn’t reply to his words, but Harry knew that they had arrived inside his head. Maybe he was just thinking together the next thing he would say.

Moments later, he raised his voice again.

“Harry?” it was quiet, it was softer than before.

“Yeah?” the dark haired replied once again, smiling at him softly. Of course it was annoying after a while, so bad that he might just burst. But he never did. And this time something was different, and he wasn’t even annoyed in the slightest by the sound of his name.

Draco’s voice was so quiet he almost missed it, just barely a whisper. “Can I kiss you?” was what Harry understood, and he heard rightly. Taken aback, unsure of what exactly he was doing anyway, he nodded.

Only when Draco placed his lips softly onto Harry’s, he finally realised how long he had wanted, and needed, this. Of course, the tiny crush he had had on the dark haired boy back in fifth year was nothing to count in, but more and more moments came to his mind where, despite hating him in a way, he had wanted to kiss Harry.

All Harry thought, was that he couldn’t complain, and that he had to admit he wanted this too. But far more importantly, he hoped this was another step to bring the old Draco back.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it wasn't too terrible... anyways, have a nice day/night.


End file.
